Breaking Bad on AMC (3 Viewers)

[identikit]

So Lydia told them exactly which tanker the stuff was in?

Yep.

 

[Wingnut]

So Lydia told them exactly which tanker the stuff was in?

Supposedly. I imagine Walt would have been able to tell by the smell if it wasn't the right stuff.

 

[TylerRoseFan]

1) Skylar has to go

2) Holy crap, Todd does understand exactly what they are doing.

 

[Christo]

So Lydia told them exactly which tanker the stuff was in?

No

 

[Wingnut]

So Lydia told them exactly which tanker the stuff was in?

All we saw was Lydia calling Mike and saying 'Ive got it', referring to the manifest that listed which car was carrying it.

 

[Raider Nation]

"The point is, no one, other than us, can ever know that this robbery went down. Nobody. Got it?" -Jesse

"Yeah, absolutely." -Todd

"Are you sure?" -Walt

"Yes, sir." -Todd

Over the years, I have steadfastly insisted that anyone watching "Friday Night Lights" for the first time is better off suffering through the show's giant misfire of a second season than skipping it, not only because of a handful of strong individual moments, but because if they don't watch it, then they don't get to make jokes about Landry Clarke killing people. And one of the unexpected joys of my TV fan life of the last five years has been telling many, many, many jokes about Landry as a serial killer, Landry on a 12-state murder spree, Jesse Plemons killing someone no matter what new role he's been signed to play.

After the final scene of "Dead Freight," I think I have to retire that joke.

It's not just that for once, Plemons plays another character who actually does kill someone. It's who he kills, and the circumstance under which he does it. It's all fun and games when Lance is running around the country killing rapists, aliens, plumbing contractors, etc., and quite another when he's gunning down some kid on a dirtbike who had the terrible fortune to be looking for spiders to add to his collection in the absolute wrong place and time.

That's not funny. That's as tragic and horrifying as the "Breaking Bad" creative team intended.

Similarly, Todd's act at the end completely changes everything we think about "Dead Freight," which to that point is practically a "Breaking Bad" romp. Though there's some tension early on as the guys debate what to do with/to Lydia, and the usual frostiness between Walt and Skyler, the overwhelming emotion I felt throughout this one was giddiness.

Even more than the season premiere, this was a good old-fashioned caper story — a train robbery, for goodness' sake, on a show that's always had some Western roots — and in my running diary of the episode, I kept noting that longtime "Breaking Bad" writer George Mastras must have felt like a kid in a candy store (or a train store) when he got this as his first directing assignment ever. Once again, Walt and Jesse (and now Mike) are faced with an impossible problem — at least an impossible one if they wanted to avoid killing the two engineers — and once again, they figure out a way to solve it through brainpower. Cue gorgeous, Western-tinged cinematography (including Walt in his Heisenberg hat looking every bit the cowboy villain as he stands on the train tracks). Cue fun set-up montages. Cue tense but not dread-filled heist sequence, including the return of Bill Burr as Saul's occasional errand boy Kuby. Cue Jesse, Walt and Todd gleefully celebrating, with Jesse only seconds away from letting off another "YEAH, SCIENCE!"

Cue Todd putting a bullet into a kid.

No, that's not fun at all. And at this late stage of the series, that's the point.

For a series with a reasonably high body count, "Breaking Bad" has always treated murder very seriously. Walt and Jesse tried for a very long time to avoid killing anyone who wasn't a direct threat to them like Tuco; look at the hoops they jumped through in "Better Call Saul" just to keep from murdering Badger, when that's the obvious play for any traditional drug crew. They've tried to rationalize their work, to separate themselves from the end user of their product (and when Jesse couldn't, in an episode like "Peekaboo," he at least made himself feel better by knowing the cops and social services are about to take the kid out of that environment). They make drugs, but they do not kill people, and when people have died — even if they were in some way tied to the drug game like Combo, Andrea's little brother Tomas, Gale or even Jane — it hasn't been quickly forgotten, but has given Walt pause, and emotionally devastated Jesse. But even those deaths could eventually be moved beyond. Combo was a drug dealer, as was Tomas (and Tomas killed Combo, to boot). Jane was a junkie. Gale cooked meth. They knew on some level what they were getting into.

Spider boy? Spider boy was just a little kid with horrible luck, and he's dead, in part because Walt and Jesse made it abundantly clear to Todd that there could be no witnesses to this particular crime.

Walt and Jesse can act like they're some morally-superior class of criminal, but crime is crime. When you tell a professional thief like Todd, who's made it clear he's trying to impress you, that no one can know about this robbery, what do you expect to happen if a kid on a dirtbike tools up?

I don't know that this murder affects the current Walt/Jesse/Mike business model. As Walt said last week — before he knew how ironic those words would sound — "Nothing stops this train. Nothing." But every now and then, Walt and Jesse have to have their illusions about their chosen profession shattered, and though the kid is someone they don't know (and whom we only met briefly in what seemed at the time like a very odd pre-credits sequence), he's still a kid. You don't shrug that off lightly. You may go right back to cooking meth and divvying up the cash, but you don't get to pretend you're anything other than what you are.

We've been looking at the back of Walt's head a lot this season, which on the one hand is a trademark of that other AMC show that wins a lot of Emmys, but which also is often used to introduce a major villain (Blofeld, Marcellus Wallace).

We may like Walt and Jesse to varying degrees because the actors and writers have done such a good job of making us understand them. And we may have gotten many thrills out of the many ways they've cheated death, defied the odds, and/or pulled off some incredible scheme. But we can't pretend they're something other than what they are. I'm reminded of the following exchange that Jesse and Walt had in the season 3 premiere:

"You either run from things, or you face them, Mr. White."

"And what exactly does that mean?"

"I learned it in rehab. It's all about accepting who you really are. I accept who I am."

"And who are you?"

"I'm the bad guy."

Great episode. So much fun, and then such a devastating but not unfair gut punch at the end.

Some other thoughts:

* I mentioned it briefly earlier, but this is one of the prettiest episodes the show has ever done, up there with the likes of "4 Days Out." I'm tempted to watch it again with the sound off just so I can admire the train sequence some more.

* Though the hour is largely focused on the heist, we still get to see plenty of fallout from last week's birthday fight between Skyler and Walt. Walter Jr. is confused and angry to be shut out of his own home, Marie and Hank aren't sure what to do (but are enjoying having Holly around), and Skyler actually manages to get through to Walt for once by forcing him to realize that his career really does place the kids in danger. For the most part this season, Walt's megalomania has blinded him to any potential blowback from his actions, so good on Skyler for piercing through his defenses and getting to think of himself as something other than the omnipotent Heisenberg.

* It's also interesting to contrast the completely honest Walt/Skyler scene with Walt's earlier visit to Hank's office, where his tears and vulnerability are largely calculated to give Walt a few minutes alone with the computer, but where there's just enough truth there to make the lie convincing. Walt isn't pleased that his wife no longer loves him and has sent his kids away, but he's never going to show Hank how he really feels about that. Some of Cranston's best moments throughout the series involve Walt augmenting some elaborate lie with a splash of emotional truth.

* It took several episodes, but Lydia finally adds some value to the team by assisting with the train heist. She's still a jittery mess, but who wouldn't be if Mike was constantly threatening to shoot them in the head? I also laughed very hard at Lydia's hiss of "#######" when they discovered that it was the DEA, and not her, who put the GPS tracker on the barrel(s). Also, Lydia's demand that Walt swear on the lives of his children suggests she watches too much "Survivor."

* Back to Walter Jr., how long has it been since anyone last called him Flynn? I like the idea that Marie and Skyler revert to that nickname when he's mad at his father — and it should be noted that Walt still insists on referring to his son as Junior.

* We get our second Pacino movie reference of the season, as Hank tries to get Flynn to watch "Heat" with him. It's very easy to imagine Mike as the DeNiro character from that movie, who's too smart and experienced to work with the likes of Walt and Jesse, but can't help himself and is doomed as a result.

 

[corpcow]

As soon as they talked about the plan to rob the train, both my wife and I immediately jumped back to the horn in the opening scene and thought the kid gets killed. But, I thought it was going to be Walt. I'm sure that's still where they were going - they had the callback to the scene with Jesse having the gun to Walt's head last season, and the big thing there was "who is ok with using kids". The initial reaction was that Walt was going to kill the kid, and Jesse was going to realize he has become Gus / he was the one who did it / etc... either way, starts the wheels turning on Jesse turning on Walt. Obviously, they can still go that way - Jesse wants Todd taken care of, and Walt says "it was necessary" and is ok with it.

I will say, Todd didn't hesitate... at all. And he's a good shot. Must be something more to the character.

 

[Wingnut]

Anyone else think for a moment that once the heist was over and they were all standing there (right before they saw the kid) that Walt was gonna pull out a gun and shoot Landry?

 

[identikit]

Anyone else think for a moment that once the heist was over and they were all standing there (right before they saw the kid) that Walt was gonna pull out a gun and shoot Landry?

I didn't.I'm guessing that Walt thinks he can use him to his advantage. Problem is, Landry took his 'no one can ever know' conversation in a very different way than intended.

 

[bosoxs45]

Nice cameo by Bill Burr

 

[identikit]

Nice cameo by Bill Burr

Kuby's a semi-regular.

 

[DocGonzo]

Anyone else think for a moment that once the heist was over and they were all standing there (right before they saw the kid) that Walt was gonna pull out a gun and shoot Landry?

I did. I guess it going the way it did instead means I can forget any idea I had that Landry is actually a cop of some kind.

 

[top dog]

Anyone else think for a moment that once the heist was over and they were all standing there (right before they saw the kid) that Walt was gonna pull out a gun and shoot Landry?

I did. I guess it going the way it did instead means I can forget any idea I had that Landry is actually a cop of some kind.

Yeah, I had that thought running in my head until he offed that kid too.

 

[NMYMND]

Landry!

Landry is not above taking a guy out. He's done it before.

Just sayin'

 

[mad sweeney]

Anyone else think for a moment that once the heist was over and they were all standing there (right before they saw the kid) that Walt was gonna pull out a gun and shoot Landry?

I did. I guess it going the way it did instead means I can forget any idea I had that Landry is actually a cop of some kind.

Or that theories and "I heard/read that..." posts aren't actually spoilers (just like previews aren't).

 

[Apple Jack]

Abraham, avoid the thread until you watch it. It's a fun episode, but hardly one of the best of the series. Don't spoil the fun for yourself.

 

[Barry]

you folks do realize that the Skyler/Marie roles were written to make you not like them, right?

Skyler? I thought we're supposed to feel sorry for her.

 

[Tiger Fan]

Skyler is going to remember the "robbing a train" convo when it hits the news that a kid riding a dirt biken in that area went missing. Beginning of the end.

 

[Brady Marino]

you folks do realize that the Skyler/Marie roles were written to make you not like them, right?

Skyler? I thought we're supposed to feel sorry for her.

If you're a chick maybe.

 

[Apple Jack]

you folks do realize that the Skyler/Marie roles were written to make you not like them, right?

Skyler? I thought we're supposed to feel sorry for her.

That's the irony here. Skyler was annoying when she was happy. Now I like her.And I wouldn't take many cues from this thread. I'm convinced some of these people are watching another show.

 

[Kiddnets]

I was sad when Sopranos ended....bummed when Lost ended....dont know how I am going to deal with losing this show! It makes my Sun night!

 

[Apple Jack]

I was sad when Sopranos ended....bummed when Lost ended....dont know how I am going to deal with losing this show! It makes my Sun night!

There are other good Sunday night shows.

 

[Raider Nation]

Interesting points (in a nerdy kinda way) from a poster on Sepinwall's board who is a railroad engineer:

A wonderful episode, of course, but it illustrates the hazard of knowing a thing or two about an industry depicted on the screen. In episode, when the locomotive comes to a stop, both the engineer and the conductor emerge and step to the ground to help the motorist. Thus, they both leave the engine cab unattended. This would almost certainly be prohibited by federal law and/or the railroad's own internal operating rules.Second, the term "dark territory" is an unofficial railroad industry term, but it does not mean that the line of track is a location where the crew cannot communicate with the railroad headquarters. Rather, dark territory is just an area where the track is not signalized, meaning that there are not automatic gates and lights at the crossings and/or other signalization on the track. Even in dark territory, the crew would have access to their radios and could communicate with the train dispatcher who could, from the dispatcher's office, contact the authorities. (Mike suggests that the crew would have cell phones but there was no mention of their radios or communications with dispatch).Further, because the train was making an unscheduled stop due to a potential accident, the crew would have been required to communicate same to the dispatcher. (This would be done for many reasons, not the least of which would be to ensure that another train scheduled to travel on those tracks later could be alerted to the delay to forestall another accident). Additionally, the crew might even be required to complete a near miss report, either in paperwork, or at the very least in a report to the dispatcher.Finally, a minor point, but when Jesse and Walt measure out the distance from the crossing to the bridge, they cannot factor in an unknown, i.e. the stopping distance of the train and when the engineer would apply the brakes. (Presumably, their contact could have provided them the tanker car number and its place in the train consist, but how would they know when the engineer would apply the brakes, what the stopping distance would be, and whether the railcar in question would be over the bridge)? After all, when they took the measurements in the field, they did not know where in the consist the tanker car would be or the length and weight of the train, which would one would need to calculate the stopping distance of the train. It's possible that the train could not have stopped before the crossing and the locomotive would have collided with the truck, which would have brought the authorities almost immediately to the scene.

 

[Sebowski]

Mike, from the preview for next week:"I'm aware of only two kinds of heists. Those where the men got away, and those that left witnesses."

Thanks for reminding me why I am done with this thread. There is no way anyone who watched last week's previews enjoyed tonight's episode as much as those of us who avoid previews. I watched last week's previews after watching tonight's episode. You guys are missing out on a lot of the fun by letting the network marketing tease you on the next epsiode to get you to watch. I thought killing there was a real chance Lydia was going to get killed. If I saw the preview I would have know she wasn't. Can't believe some of you are so dense that you don't get that previews are spoilers.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

Skyler is going to remember the "robbing a train" convo when it hits the news that a kid riding a dirt biken in that area went missing. Beginning of the end.

In what area? (There was no train robbery as far as anybody knows — unless the plan didn't work somehow.)

 

[Daywalker]

Hard to have any sympathy for Jesse either at this point. Have to think he knew the engineers were going to be killed if they realized they were being robbed. Jesse was up for it. An innocent engineer or a kid what's the difference?

 

[Raider Nation]

So whose bed is Walt planting the taranchula in?

Just watched the cold open again. Didn't catch the train whistle the first time.

 

[Dr. Awesome]

Hard to have any sympathy for Jesse either at this point. Have to think he knew the engineers were going to be killed if they realized they were being robbed. Jesse was up for it. An innocent engineer or a kid what's the difference?

One is a kid. One is adult. Right or wrong, Jesse has shown a major soft spot for kids throughout the entire series. Going to be extremely interesting to see how this sets him off. He's been really showing off his smarts the past few episodes.

 

[Good Posting Judge]

I thought Abe was a lunatic in the NBA threads, but trying to find out what's happening on the show while it's happening via a message board? JFC.

 

[identikit]

Skyler is going to remember the "robbing a train" convo when it hits the news that a kid riding a dirt biken in that area went missing. Beginning of the end.

In what area? (There was no train robbery as far as anybody knows — unless the plan didn't work somehow.)

Yeah, I doubt there will be even a remote connection between the two.

 

[shader]

I think this is the end of the Walt/Jesse capers. Jesse is without question going to be mentally fried now.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Mike, from the preview for next week:"I'm aware of only two kinds of heists. Those where the men got away, and those that left witnesses."

Thanks for reminding me why I am done with this thread. There is no way anyone who watched last week's previews enjoyed tonight's episode as much as those of us who avoid previews. I watched last week's previews after watching tonight's episode. You guys are missing out on a lot of the fun by letting the network marketing tease you on the next epsiode to get you to watch. I thought killing there was a real chance Lydia was going to get killed. If I saw the preview I would have know she wasn't. Can't believe some of you are so dense that you don't get that previews are spoilers.

 

[Sabertooth]

I laughed when Hank and Walt were in the office. Both are bald. And Hank is talking and blurts it something about letting things "Fester." I giggled.

 

[Novice2]

Damn new guy don't play.

 

[comfortably numb]

Damn new guy don't play.

yep, he has a history. Shows up packing heat?

 

[corpcow]

Skyler is going to remember the "robbing a train" convo when it hits the news that a kid riding a dirt biken in that area went missing. Beginning of the end.

In what area? (There was no train robbery as far as anybody knows — unless the plan didn't work somehow.)

Yeah, I doubt there will be even a remote connection between the two.

I mentioned this above, but I have to believe the dead kid ties back to "End Times" in last season. "Who do you know who is ok with using children, Jesse? Who's allowed children to be murdered? GUS!"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTUrpxyd3DQOn a superficial level, it means Jesse realizes Walt is capable/no better than Gus. On a deeper level (which Jesse may or may not get to), it leads Jesse to realize that Walt may have been the one with Brock after all. Either way, I think it's setting the stage for some rift between them, not between Walt and Skyler. After all, Skyler already hates Walt.

 

[pantherclub]

Does anyone else think the bug in the office and computer cord will come back into play?

 

[Wrighteous Ray]

I guess I liked the episode, but was the train heist the most implausible scheme yet? Just seemed so ridiculous.

 

[comfortably numb]

Does anyone else think the bug in the office and computer cord will come back into play?

Of course. The scene where Hank walks in on Walt looking at the picture frame will probably be a revelation moment for Hank when the discovery of the bug in the picture comes to light.

 

[Sam Quentin]

Skyler is going to remember the "robbing a train" convo when it hits the news that a kid riding a dirt biken in that area went missing. Beginning of the end.

house of cards coming downjesse will be a wreckcops will be combing the desert for weeksSky may turn

 

[Sabertooth]

Paraphrasing Mr. Pink "I'm ####### postive Todd's on the level."

 

[Tiger Fan]

Skyler is going to remember the "robbing a train" convo when it hits the news that a kid riding a dirt biken in that area went missing. Beginning of the end.

In what area? (There was no train robbery as far as anybody knows — unless the plan didn't work somehow.)

Not that someone would find out about the train robbery...but I'd imagine soon enough that it will hit the news that a kid riding a dirt bike went missing. I can imagine the news honing in on "all there is in the area is one road that crosses the train tracks" or something to that effect and Skyler might put two and two together.

 

[Abraham]

I thought Abe was a lunatic in the NBA threads, but trying to find out what's happening on the show while it's happening via a message board? JFC.

 

[lumpy19]

So whose bed is Walt planting the taranchula in?

Who's ear is it going to sleep in tonight?

Good of you to remember to log out the NIU kicker!

Busted....Keep it a secret in the wager thread.... I like the schtickI know that whole thing set you off, but that ******* took half my bowl season profits as well.

I figured it out because you are the only wagering thread veteran who comes here.

 

[blend]

Skyler is going to remember the "robbing a train" convo when it hits the news that a kid riding a dirt biken in that area went missing. Beginning of the end.

In what area? (There was no train robbery as far as anybody knows — unless the plan didn't work somehow.)

Not that someone would find out about the train robbery...but I'd imagine soon enough that it will hit the news that a kid riding a dirt bike went missing. I can imagine the news honing in on "all there is in the area is one road that crosses the train tracks" or something to that effect and Skyler might put two and two together.

Well, I'm sure they're goign to move the body. Tehy aren't just going to leave it right where their big jugs of Methylamine and Water are.

 

[pollardsvision]

I wonder if the good samaritan saw a kid riding a bike.

 

[Wrighteous Ray]

I wonder if the good samaritan saw a kid riding a bike.

If he saw a kid riding a bike, he might also have seen a dude on top of the train with a giant hose and another dude under the train with another giant hose and then another dude under the bridge with the ends of the two giant hoses and then another dude standing around with binoculars.

 

[Apple Jack]

The have to get the tanks out of there immediately. Does the 24 hours thing apply to children who are missing or just adults? If it does, they have about 24 hours to get them. Obviously, the kid is going to be taken elsewhere and probably dissolved. Might be worthwhile to make another set of bike tracks going from the bridge to the road. Unless it rains you're going to have bike tracks and truck tracks by that bridge. Any national attention on that bridge runs the risk of the train operators being questioned or exposed to the fact that something happened there. I also wondered about the dirt we saw go into one of the tanks. I didn't catch which it was.

 

[Tiger Fan]

Skyler is going to remember the "robbing a train" convo when it hits the news that a kid riding a dirt biken in that area went missing. Beginning of the end.

In what area? (There was no train robbery as far as anybody knows — unless the plan didn't work somehow.)

Not that someone would find out about the train robbery...but I'd imagine soon enough that it will hit the news that a kid riding a dirt bike went missing. I can imagine the news honing in on "all there is in the area is one road that crosses the train tracks" or something to that effect and Skyler might put two and two together.

Well, I'm sure they're goign to move the body. Tehy aren't just going to leave it right where their big jugs of Methylamine and Water are.

And they're going to take the time to cover up all the dirt bike tracks?

 

[Apple Jack]

I wonder if the good samaritan saw a kid riding a bike.

If he saw a kid riding a bike, he might also have seen a dude on top of the train with a giant hose and another dude under the train with another giant hose and then another dude under the bridge with the ends of the two giant hoses and then another dude standing around with binoculars.

If he saw the guys, he might have also known Walt is Heizenberg and is on his way to tell Hank. The end.